GOING GREEN: Amritsar MC Commissioner unveils island to greet visitors at Golden Gate

Amritsar, June 27

In an effort to amplify the message of creating and conserving green spaces and encouraging small yet significant steps to check air pollution through plantation, MC Amritsar in collaboration with FICCI FLO city chapter today unveiled a small island that has been created adjacent to Golden Gate.

The idea of greeting visitors coming to Amritsar with a message for the environment, right from the main entry point of Golden Gate, the island has been designed aesthetically with native flora, species of plants with high oxygen value. “This holds great significance as it serves as the entry point to Amritsar and it also gives out a positive message of not just planting but also nurturing the trees thereby improving the air quality and green wealth of the city,” said Sandeep Rishi, MC Commissioner, who inaugurated the island.

There is a special inscription of the shloka “Pawan Guru, Paani Pita” installed at the beginning of the island. This shloka emphasises the profound importance of air and water in sustaining life, acting as a poignant reminder of our collective responsibility to protect and preserve these vital resources.

Just like Hall Gate, the city’s prominent heritage site greets the visitors with a caption saying Amritsar Sifti Da Ghar, the island too has a caption reading Sifti Da Ghar. Himani Arora, chairperson, FICCI FLO, Amritsar, said, “We have put tremendous efforts in transforming this area into a welcoming space and the idea is to engage everyone, invite everyone to nurture more green spaces and contribute towards improving the city landscape. There are so many declarations being made about saving the environment, global warming, climate change, when only action at local level and collaborative community engagement towards sustainability is the only thing that would provide a solution,” she said.

The island also has bird feeders, water inlets and outlets and will be maintained by FICCI FLO.